Combined automobile foot-rail and umbrella receptacle



Nov. 12, 1935. DAN|ELE 2,020,459

COMBINED AUTOMOBILE FOOT RAIL AND UMBRELLA RECEPTACLE Filed April 22,1933 EL Z ATTORN EYS Patented Nov. 12, 1935 aortas ATENT OFFICE COMBINEDAUTOMOBILE FOOT-RAIL AND UMBRELLA RECEPTACLE Edmund Daniele, Astoria, N.Y., assignor of onehalf to Alfred H. Bamberger, New York, N. Y.

Application April 22, 1933, Serial No. 667,374

Claims.

5 is to provide a simple and convenient means for storing an umbrella inan automobile of the class in which foot-rails are provided for thecomfort of passengers, where such umbrella will not interfere with thecomfort of the passengers or injure the interior of the automobile whenthe same is not in use and which, when the umbrella is containedtherein, will be free from noise or vibration when the automobile is inmotion. A

further object of the invention is to provide a,

combined foot-rail and umbrella holder, such that the umbrella isreadily removable from and insertable into the improved foot-rail, suchcombined structure harmonizing with the standard equipment of theautomobile, while effectively concealing the umbrella from View and nottaking up appreciably more space than the standard foot-rail.

As far as I am aware, automobiles have not heretofore been provided withconvenient receptacles for the storage of umbrellas in such manner asnot to take up room in the already limited space of the vehicle, and tobe free from noise and vibration when the vehicle is in motion.Generally umbrellas are placed in some inconvenient place such as theseat or fioor, where they interfere with the comfort of the passengers.This is especially so when the umbrella is wet, when in addition to thediscomfort, the interior upholstery of the car is subject to beingstained and rotted by dampness. All of the above is a common experiencewith automobile owners and the device of the present application wasdesigned to overcome all such inconveniences. Essentially my deviceconsists of a hollow foot-rail which may be pivotally mounted on thefloor board of the automobile, as is the common practice, and which isprovided with removable ends, one of which may form part of the handleon an umbrella adapted to be inserted inside the hollow foot-rail. Thisend portion, which has a short sleeve adapted to engage snugly the innerperiphery of the hollow foot-rail, may be made of metal similar to thatof which the foot-rail is constructed or of a lighter metal or othermaterial and is preferably so designed that it appears to be part of thefoot-rail and is harmonious in design therewith, and preferably has noprotruding portions which are likely to be dangerous to the passengers.To this end portion is attached in any suitable manner the l'emainder ofthe un s brella handle which may be made of wood, bone, resin, or anyother suitable material, as is common in umbrella handles, and may be sodesigned that it snugly engages the inner periphery of the hollowfoot-rail and together with the end por- :5 tion when in use will give apleasing appearance. The umbrella to which the handle is attached may bea gentlemens or ladies size, and the rail should be of such bore thatthe umbrella fits snugly inside such rail, so that the metal tip or 10foot at the end of the umbrella opposite the handle will be preventedfrom rattling against the inner wall of the hollow foot-rail. Theumbrella may be readily removed from its receptacle by pulling outwardlyon the removable end portion. 15 To replace the umbrella, it is onlynecessary to wind the frame and cloth portion tightly about the centralrod and insert it into the hollow rail, if desired with a slight turningmovement. Vents may also be provided at suitable places in the rail 20in order that currents of air may have access to the interior of therail to dry out a damp umbrella and keep it from rotting. The remainingspace in the hollow foot-rail may be used for the purpose of storingrubbers, cloths, etc., in which case 25 I provide a hollow sleeveadapted to fit snugly inside of the hollow rail, such sleeve beingattached' to or integral with the other removable end of the foot-railand provided with an'aperture of such size that the inserted rubbers or30 cloths cooperate to prevent rattling or vibration thereof while thecar is in motion,'as will be hereinafter explained.

The invention is illustrated by Way of example in the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. l 35 represents a plan view of the body portion ofan automobile with the top removed and provided with a foot-rail inaccordance with the invention, the umbrella being shown as partiallywithdrawn from the rail; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of my 40 improvedfoot-rail, the same being shown partially broken away and in section;Fig. 3 isa detail view of the receptacle adapted to be inserted in oneend of the foot-rail; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l indicates an automobile of theclass in which a footrail 2 is provided for the comfort of thepassengers. The foot-rail 2, which consists of a long hollow cylinder ofrelatively small diameter, is supported adjacent to each end on thevertically disposed portions 3 of the arms 4, in any suitable manner.The other ends of the arms 4 are rotatably mounted on pins 5 suitablysupported in bearings 6 fixed to the floor I of the automobile by thescrews or bolts 8. A projection 9 on each of the arms 4 supports the armproper at a definite elevation with respect to the floor I of theautomobile, thus maintaining the foot-rail 2 in its operative positionat a convenient distance from the floor. By such mounting, which isusual in cars of this class, the foot-rail 2 may be swung out of placetoward the rear seat as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Forming part of the exterior design of the footrail 2 are the removableends l and II which may be made of metal similar to that of which thefoot-rail 2 is constructed or'of a lighter metal or other material. Theend portion ID has a short sleeve 1 2 of such exterior diameter that itis in close contact with the inner periphery of the hollow foot-rail 2.The sleeve l2 surrounds and. is fixedly attached, in any suitablemanner, to the reduced end portion of a cylindrical umbrella handle l3,the latter of which is of the same diameter as the sleeve l2, so that itsnugly engages the inner periphery of the hollow foot-rail. Thus thesleeve l2 of the removable end l0 and the cylindrical portion l3together form the handle of an umbrella M which fits snugly inside ofthe hollow foot-rail in such a manner as to 'prevent vibration betweenthe parts, yet may be drawn quite readily from within the foot-rail. Thepart I3 of the handle may be made of wood, bone or any other suitablematerial, such as is common in umbrella handles, and of any suitablecolor, so that together with the removable end II! it presents apleasing appearance. The umbrella I 4 which may be a gentlemens orladies size, is of such a size when wound tightly about the central rodas to fit snugly inside of the hollow foot-rail, so that the foot or tipportion l5 thereof will not come into contact with the inner wall of thehollow foot-rail 2, thus preventing noisy contact therewith while thecar is in motion. Thus, by the combination of elements above described,an umbrella may be conveniently stored away when not in use, in such amanner that it is not in the way of the passengers and at the same timeis prevented from rattling, regardless of the amount of vibration causedby the engine or by the movement of the car.

In a further development of my invention, the end II is also maderemovable and is provided with a receptacle l6 integral with said end orattached thereto in any suitable manner, and of such length as toaccommodate a pair of rubbers, cleaning cloths, chamois, etc. Theexterior diameter of the receptacle is such that it is in close contactwith the inner wall of the hollow foot-rail 2, but may be readilywithdrawn therefrom and subsequently reinserted. An elongated apertureI1 is provided in the sleeve I6 so that the rubbers, cloths, etc. mayreadily be placed therein, such aperture at the same time enabling therubbers, cloths, etc. tightly packed therein to bear against the innerwall of the foot-rail when the receptacle I6 is inserted in the latterto prevent rattling of the receptacle l6 and the end I I against theinner side of the foot-rail 2. The end portion of the receptacle It maybe slotted, as at l8, and the ends caused to bend or spring outwardly togive such portion a slightly greater external diameter than the internaldiameter of the rail in order that such end portion may fit tightlyagainst the inner periphery of the foot-rail, thereby further insuringagainst rattling or vibration of the receptacle it within the foot-rail.

Apertures l 9 may be provided at suitable places in the foot-rail 2 toenable currents of air to pass through the interior of the railto dryout a wet umbrella, cloth, rubbers, etc. and keep the interior of thefoot-rail dry and thereby preserve the umbrella, rubbers, cloths, etc.against rotting.

I claim: 5

1. In a passenger vehicle the combination of a rigid hollow cylinderhaving a length substantially greater than that of an ordinary umbrellaand having an inner dimension approximately equal to the peripheraldimension of the fabric part of 10 an ordinary umbrella when rolled up,means for permanently attaching the cylinder to. the vehicle body andfor supporting said cylinder closely above and out of contact with anypart of the floor of the vehicle in position to serve as a foot supportfor passengers seated in the vehicle and in registry with a doorway ofthe vehicle, an umbrella adapted to be fitted within said cylinderthrough the end of the latter which is adjacent to the doorway of thevehicle and comprising a handle, a rod terminating in a tip, ribs andfabric, the fabric sections thereof being in rolled condition and inpressure contact with the inner periphery of the cylinder therebymaintaining the tip portion of the umbrella which is positioned 5 withinthe cylinder at a point remote from the other end thereof, out of allcontact with'any part of the inner wall of said cylinder, the handle ofthe umbrella comprising a stubby portion adapted to slidably fit withinthe end portion of the cylinder adjacent to the doorway of the vehicleand snugly contacting with the inner wall of said end portion of thecylinder, preventing vibration therebetween, said handle including anenlarged head portion positioned exteriorly of said cylinder and beingharmonious therewith and adapted to supply the terminal configuration ofthe closure for the open end of the cylinder when the umbrella ispositioned therein so that no umbrella structure as such is visiblewithout the confines of said 40 cylinder, said head portion projectingfrom the cylinder to a limited extent only so that when the weight of apassenger is placed upon said projecting portion no strain deleteriousto any part of the umbrella structure is developed but said strain istransmitted through the stubby portion of the handle and thence throughthe cylinder and its supports to the body of the vehicle wherebydeformation of said open end of the cylinder and all tendency of thehandle to break between its said head portion and the portion seatedwithin the cylinder is prevented, said head portion being also adaptedto begrasped for removing the umbrella from and for properly positioningthe umbrella within said cylinder. 2. In a passenger vehicle thecombination of a rigid hollow cylinder arranged transversely of thevehicle in registry with a doorway thereof and adapted to serve as afoot support for passengers seated in said vehicle, an umbrella having alength substantially shorter than that of said cylinder and adapted tobe fitted within said cylinder when in rolled condition through the endof the latter which is adjacent to the doorway of the vehicle, saidumbrella comprising a handle, a rod ter- 5 minating in a tip, ribs andfabric, the fabric sections thereof being in pressure contact with theinner periphery of the cylinder so that the tip of said umbrella ismaintained out of. contact with the cylinder at all times, the handle ofsaid umbrella comprising a stubby portion adapted to fit within thecylinder and an enlarged portion having a cross sectional area at leastequal to that of the cylinder and adapted to supply the ter minalconfiguration of the closure for said end-"of 15 the cylinder when theumbrella is positioned therein, the stubby portion of said handle snuglycontacting with the inner wall of said cylinder preventing vibrationtherebetween and the enlarged portion of said handle being substantiallyshorter along its axis than the stubby portion and projecting from thecylinder to a limited extent only so that the leverage on the end of thecylinder of any force acting on a side surface of said portion isrelatively small.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the cylinder ismetallic and the stubby portion of the umbrella handle comprises anon-metal member permanently attached to the umbrella rod and having areduced portion near its outer end. and a metal collar encircling thereduced portion ina permanent manner and forming a surface of suchperiphery as to snugly engage the inner Wall of. the foot rail cylinderand'to form a metal to metal contact therewith.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the cylinder ismetallic and the stubby portion of the umbrella handle comprises anon-metal member permanently attached to the umbrella rod and having areduced portion near its outer end and a metal cap mounted on saidreduced portion and a collar attached to said cap, said collarencircling the reduced portion in a permanent manner and formingtogether with the remainder of said stubby member a surface of suchperiphery as to snugly engage the inner wall of the foot rail cylinderboth with respect to the non-metal as well as to the metal collarportion of the stubby member.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the end of the cylinderremote from the umbrella handle includes a removable closure having anend portion corresponding in configuration to the protruding headportion of. the umbrella handle and a hollow cylindrical body portion ofsuch diameter that the exterior surface thereof snugly engages with theinner wall of the foot rail cylinder, said body portion having anaperture adapted for the reception of compressible articles such asrubber overshoes which by reason of their compressible characteristicsbear against that portion of the inner wall of the foot rail cylinderadjacent to said aperture and counteract any tendency to cause rattlingand assist in preserving the position within the cylinder of theremovable closure.

EDMUND DANIELE.

